Albeit Dakkam was in the Milky Way,[1] it was far from Earth.[6] Nonetheless, one Dakkamite had already visited Earth three decades ago: Wundarr, baby son of rogue scientist Hektu, was sent on a rocket[1][4][6] against the Triumvirate's wishes.[1] On Earth, Wundarr awoke as an adult with a child's mind,[1] but also with extraordinary powers due to the combination of the rocket's gases and the cosmic rays[1] of the Earth's sun[1][4] Dakkamite scientists studied Wundarr's powers and reported this important discovery -the fact that the Earth's sun reacted to Dakkamite physilogy to give Dakkamites extraordinary powers[1][4][6][7] by mutating their cells-[1] to Dakkam's ruling elite. The rulers ordered the scientists[4] to start an experiment to provide superpowers to Dakkamite soldiers.[1][4]

A platoon[1][4][7] of nine[1][6] voluntary[7] militiamen,[4] including Lomen,[4][7] was selected as test subjects[4][7] and renamed The Elect.[1][4][7] They were sent in nine incubator capsules in solar orbit,[1][4][6][7] only 30 million miles from Sol reasoning that the mutogenic influence of light would be more powerful with a greater amount of radiation than the one received on Earth's surface.[1][7] Sensors in the capsules monitored each soldier's body looking for cellular improvements.[1][4][7]

With sunrays affecting each Dakkamite at a different speed,[1][6] eight of the soldiers hatched prematurely from their pods,[1] having obtained one single power each[1][6][8] (including improved strenght and endurance, elasticity, super-lepa, growth and force rays from the eyes)[6] only to be promptly kidnapped by the enigmatic superpowered alien entity known only as the Stranger. The Stranger called his new prisoners the Power Platoon[1] and held them on his laboratory world.[1]

Got powers!

Only later Lomen awoke and discovered his several superpowers.[1][4][6][7] Noticing that his colleagues were missing, he started his own quest to look for them.[1][4][7] During his search, he decided to fly throughout the sun and, when he surfaced again, he observed a gravitational beacon[1][4][7] broadcast through hyperspace[2] in a light alteration[9] coming from Earth. He followed it,[1][4][7] hoping it had been sent by the Elect[4][7] or that at least it could provide him with a clue.[1][7]

The beacon had been sent by local[7][2] supercriminal Graviton,[4][10][2] whose powers were related to gravity, one of the four fundamental forces in the universe. Graviton inteded to create and lead a group of conquering villains based on each of the four forces,[9][10][5] and Halflife exemplied one of those, the destructive attraction between matter and anti-matter.[5] Halflife answered the call and travelled from her own solar system[11] to Earth via unknown means.[5][11]

Lomen was the first person[9] to come answering Graviton's summoning.<[2] Graviton, who could understand Dakkamite language, called him Quantum[9] and erroneously[2] theorized that Qunatum had been living within an extraterrestrial sun,[9][2] in the nuclear fusion. Graviton also determined that Quantum exemplified one of the fundamental forces, the attraction between the particles in atomic nuclei or strong force.[1][9] Graviton recruited Quantum, along with[2][4][11][12][7] female extraterrestrial Halflife representing the weak force and Earthling[9] intelligent[11] electromagnetic entity[2][4][11]Zzzax[13] representing electromagnetism.[9] Although Graviton intended for the team to cooperate only in evil activities,[9] Quantum agreed only in exchange for Graviton's promise to help him find the Elect,[4][7] making the most of that chance to put his new powers to the test.[2]

Quantum hovered over a public area in Sunset Boulevard and shouted an apparent challenge in Dakkamite language. LAPD, correctly assuming that this was the Avengers' jurisdiction, reported the threat while Quantum's allies Halflife and Zzzax attacked the population. The Avengers arrived via Quinjet in just seven minutes, with flying Avengers Iron Man and Wonder Man being the first to act: Wonder Man punched Quantum and was surprised when Quantum appeared to multiply himself. Quantum then battered Iron Man and Wonder Man, slamming the later to ground and causing an expansive wave that floored another Avenger, Hawkeye.[13]

vs the Avengers

Although Hawkeye and Wonder Man defeated Zzzax, Halflife defeated Mockingbird and kept Iron Man against the ropes. Wonder Man focused his efforts in Halflife and, when she was defeated, all the Avengers centered on Quantum. Hawkeye gathered that Quantum's powers may come from sunlight exposure,[13] so he used a smoke arrow to kept him in the dark. This caused Quantum to lost both his powers and his consciousness.[1][13][6]

Having prevailed, Iron Man deduced that the opponents represented three of the fundamental forces. Graviton arrived immediately after that[13] and, serving as his team's reinforcement,[1][5][4] he defeated all the Avengers[1][13][11][2][10]

The Fundamental Forces moved the captured heroes to Graviton's headquarters,[11][2][9][4] a huge[11][4] mass of stone floating[11][2][9][4] ten miles[9] over the land thanks to the active use of Graviton's powers.[9][2][4][9] The Avengers were kept imprisoned and guarded by mercenaries hired by Graviton, allowing the villains to gloat over their victory. Quantum, arms akimbo, received Halflife's affectionate caresses.[9]

Quantum then questioned Graviton on their next steps, and the three villains retreated to a private room, along with Graviton's favorite "pet" Tigra, to discuss about it. The Avengers tried to send an S.O.S., but Graviton used his powers to intercept and expel it. After the meeting, Quantum went to the border of the hovering stone, to think on his own.[9]

Furry Tigra changed to her human form,[9][2][11] escaped[2][11][5][9][4] disguised as one of Graviton's guards,[1][2][11][5][9] then falsely convinced Halflife that Quantum was intent on killing Halflife.[9][11] Halflife was already suspicious of Quantum, partly because she could not understand his Dakkamite words and partly because Quantum represented a life-producing force, opposed to the destructive form she symbolized.[9] Tigra then rushed to warn Quantum of Halflife's impending attack, each villain believing the other was to kill him or her.[1][9][2][11][4][5]

Halflife met Quantum on the later's positoin, insulted him and tried to touch him with her aging powers that reduced lifespan to one half. Quantum dodged, then quantimized himself to appear in fifty places at once. Halflife, unintimidated, knew that any of the opponents would be affected by her power even if it was him who punched her.[9] The fight began,[1][2][11][4] with the enraged villains[11] reaching an impasse due to their opposed powers: Quantum's superstrength and replicating powers nullified Halflife's destructive abilities.[9][5] During the struggle, Qunatum understood that Graviton or the other Forces were unable to help him in his quest to find his platoon, and started looking for a way out.

That escalated quickly.

Graviton summoned guards to try and separate his partners, thus reducing the watch over the Avengers and giving Tigra a chance to release her friends.[9] As the common mercenaries were useless, Graviton himself tried to step him, causing a clash of great forces[9][2][5][11][4] that quickly built up[9] with catastrophic effects:[5] Halflife was knocked out,[11][9][11] her power exhausted;[5] Graviton lost control of his own power, causing the island to frantically take off;[9] and Quantum allowed himself[1][7] to be catapulted outside of the rock.[2][11][11][3][4][9] The Avengers evacuated[11][2][4] with the surrendering guards, but Graviton refused to yield while his lair moved to outer space.[9]

Meanwhile,[4] Quantum fell to Earth, but survived to fall thanks to his extraordinary powers.[2][4] With Graviton and his team all but defeated,[10] Quantum gave up that membership and, stealthily,[2][4] continued looking for the Elect[4] and waiting for their arrival.[2] He also improved the control on his powers so that he could operate in darkness conditions.[7]

The Avengers did not completely crossed out Quantum from their list of threats.[7] During a rainy day, the West Coast Avengers were trying to enumerate their most exclusive enemies and Iron Man thought about whether Quantum and Halflife were to be considered two people or a team, finally deciding on the first option as they had little synergy.[14]

Quantum's quest[1][7] led him to search for his superpowered colleagues in California.[7] There he noticed flying, superpowered local Quasar,[1][7] who was looking for a specific extraterrestrial threat by checking on confirmed aliens on Earth. Quantum stealthily followed Quasar, who in turn found pacifist cult leader Wundarr, then known as the Aquarian, who was with his disciples on a beach. Both Quasar and Quantum noticed Aquarian's superpower-nullifying abilities. Quasar then talked with Aquarian.[7]

Seeing two potential Elects in Quasar and Aquarian,[4] Quantum decided that fighting both superbeings was the only way to find whether they were Dakkamite[1][7] members of the Elect or not. Quantum multiplied himself and attacked en masse. Seeing a threat and knowing that Aquarian was non-aggressive, Quasar convinced Aquarian to remove his nullifying field so that Quasar could create a shield with his own energy-generation powers. However, one of the "Quanta" teleport beyond the shield.[7]

Aquarian decided to reactivate his power and then he nullified Quantum's powers, reducing his many bodies to only one, albeit leaving Quasar powerless at the same time. Aquarian intended to take this chance to negotiate with Quantum. Quantum talked him in Dakkamite, a language Aquarian recognised, and he also battered Aquarian; being a pacifist, Aquarian refused to use force against Quantum. Flying Quantum slammed Aquarian to the ground[7] and became convinced that a non-fighting person could never be one of his partners.[1][7]

Quantum then attacked Quasar[2][6][7] by multiplying himself and crowding him. During the skirmish, Quantum noticed that Quasar's powers came not from Quasar himself but from his bracelets; which, combined with Quasar's unability to understand Dakkamite language, led Quantum to conclude that Quasar was not a member of the Elect.[7]

Quasar then used his powers to escape from Quantum, only to be chased by the later. Quasar telepathically asked his cosmic sponsor Eon for known data on his enemy. Hearing that Quantum was mostly vulnerable to lack of light -although it was already nighttime-, Quasar tried to trick Quantum to keep him in even darker conditions, by submerging in the Pacific Ocean and by trapping Quantum in energy spheres. Both tricks failed, as Quantum was able to teleport away from there. The Quanta knocked Quasar down with a punch, and then they tried to remove Quasar's bracelets, in case Dakkamite scientists wanted to analyse them.[7]

Aquarian approached Quantum then, revealing himself as a Dakkamite.[1][3][4][7] At Aquarian's request, Quantum explained his origin and goal. Aquarian revealed he was not of the Elect, although he was a Dakkamite.[4][7] Quantum understood that Aquarian was the first mutated Dakkamite detected by their scientists,[1][4][7] a traitor's son,[1][7] thus a traitor himself in Quantum's mind.[1][4][7] Quantum attacked Aquarian,[1][3][4][7] trying to strangle him.[7]

Before Aquarian was hurt,[4] Quasar recovered[7] to suckerpnch Quantum with his powers.[1] Quasar had understood how Quantum powers worked, so[7] Quasar used cosmic energy to[6] manipulate Quantum's powers find finding the soldier's body's exact quantum state in the electromagnetic spectrum and freeze him,[7] thus altering the probability field around Quantum.[7][4][6] This resolved one single Quantum between two discrete quantum levels,[1][4] leaving him like a triplicate[3][4][6] intangible (thus mostly harmless) image[3][7][4][6] where each of them continued his doppleganger's sentences.[7] Quasar himself was able to revert this effect.[4]

Out of mercy,[4] Aquarian offered to use his own nullifying powers on Quantum to restore his solid state[1][7][6] as long as Quantum remained in Aquarian's proximity for the powers to be effective,[7] and offered to accept Quantum in his group and teach him about pacifism. Quantum, a stubborn warrior, refused to accept this kind of help and left,[1][7][4][6] claiming that Aquarian was a sorry excuse for a Dakkamite.[7]

Soon afterward, in an unrelated mission, Quasar's friend and ally Hyperion, a superhero from Earth-712, raided the Stranger's world and fought the imprisoned Power Platoon.[1][8] When the Eternal called Overmind, an enemy of the Sranger's, staged a massive breakout of the Stranger's prisoners,[1][15] the Platoon escaped the Stranger's world[1][15] and veered to Earth to look for his missing comrade Lomen.[15] Hyperion later reported his skirmish to Quasar. Quasar understood that these people were Quantum's Elect and filmmed a video report on them, the Dakkamites and Quantum for the Avengers' files.[1] Tagged "Dakkamite", "Power Platoon" and "Quasar" (sic.), the report explained the Dakkamite soldiers' origin, powers and previous enccounters with superhumans. Quasar did no know where the Platoon was going when they left.[6]

In the following months, Quantum learned to speak English[6] and he also found a way to revert Aquarian's mind to his more aggressive Wundarr persona, turning him into his minion. Quantum was nonetheless unable to revert his intangible state.[1][6]

Meanwhile, the Power Platoon, looking for Quantum, attacked Quantum's Avenger enemies Goliath (previously known as Hawkeye) and Mockingbird[1][16] in San Pedro. The Avengers, having been debriefed by Quasar, recognized theier enemies as "Quantum's Power Platoon".[6] and defeated them with the help of fellow Avengers War Machine,[1][6] who kept them in dark by ad hoc'ing a cell with steel. The Avengers took the Platoon to their base to regroup, review Quasar's report and consider their next steps.[6]

Triplicate

Quantum and his minion Wundarr then attacked the Avengers Companion to release the Platoon.[1][6] While Wundarr went physical on the Avengers, Quantum broke the ceiling so that sunlight could reach the Platoon's cells. Repowered, the Platoon released themselves and they easily overpowered the Avengers.[6] Then Quantum ordered his agents to kill the Avengers, but the Platoon and Wundarr suddenly stopped: The crime-preventing influence of the Goddess, permeating all Earth at that moment, forbid them to go offenssive in evil activities (albeit not to react deffensively in well-meaning missions).[1][6] Quantum was not affected by this because of his unusual, "in between spaces" state.[6] Wunarr even turned back to be Aquarian.[1][6]

The Platoon and Aquarian determined that their mission had been finished successfully, as they had found the last platoon member and had been released, so they left along with Wundarr, with an angry Quantum still insisting on the previous orders.[1][6] The Avengers were contacted by fellow Avenger Spider-Woman, who explained the Goddess situation with Quantum overhearing.[6] Quantum threatened to get even as soon as he could recover solidity, and left.[1][6]

The Power Platoon was later identified as an interplanetary criminal group by the Intergalactic Council, and they were imprisoned, later transported to Earth when the Council converted Earth into a star prison (It is unclear whether Quantum was with the other members of the Platoon at this time or not). On Earth, the Platoon fought the mutant X-Man,[1][17] but they later helped the Earth's heroes against an alien conspiracy; afterward, the Council agreed to revert their plans and leave the Earth be.[1][18]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Armored Skin: Quantum's skin is extraordinarily strong, providing him a protection additional to his enhanced endurance.[4]

Enhanced Endurance: Quantum is almost immune to physical injury[2][4][7] and can withstand falling to earth[2] from a location 10 miles high.[9] Quantum is almost invulnerable[4][6] to the vast temperatures, gravitational forces[2][4] and pressure that affects bodies in outer space.[2]

Flame Sheath: Only when flying,[4] Quantum can generate an aura of flames around his body.[13][6][3][2][4] The nature of this fire is unknown and, although he himself is immune to it,[2] it may damage other people touching him.[4]

Flight: Quantum can flight both in atmosphere and outside it.[2] In space, he can reach almost light speed;[3][4] in an atmosphere, he is very fast but nowhere near those limits.[4]

Life Support: Quantum can survive indefinitely without air, food or water,[3][4] for instance in outer space.[13]

Quantimization[4][7] aka Hyper-Teleportation:[4] Quantum can teleport very quickly,[4] several times per second[3] albeit with a maximum range of six inches[4][3][2] By materializing in a given location only for a fraction of a second,[7][4] he can quantimize his spatial coordinates[4][7] meaning that he is in different positions wihtin his own probability field[7][2][4] replicating the quantum theory on a macroscopic level.[2]

Quantum can use his teleportation powers to escape from conventional prisons.[7] For some reason, they also give Quantum a protection against the alien Halflife's life-draining powers: Halflife's touch ages any person touching or touched by her; however, when surrounded by several "Quanta", whenever "one Quantum" was affected by her power, the other "Quanta" were not.[9]

Abilities

A professional soldier, Qunatum was trained in Dakkam's main martial arts. Quantum is in a excellent physical shape and is superhumanly fast.[3] He speaks[9] the Dakkamite language and he later learned English.[6]

Strength level

Quantum has Class 100 strength,[3] a hundred times the strenght of a common Dakkamite,[4][7] allowing him to lift 100 tons.[2]

Weaknesses

Cannot operate without sunlight

Although Quantum's powers were said to derive from the attraction binding particles in atomic nuclei -or strong force-[2] they really come from the exposition to the radiation of the nearest star.[2][3][4][13] It was speculated[7] that he cannot use his quantimization[4] or any of his powers[3] if cut from direct sunlight[3] for instance via dense smoke or darkness.[4][2][7][13] During Quantum's first encounter with the Avengers West Coast, when he was cut off from sunlight, he even fell unconscious.[2][4][13] He was presumed to require artificial light by night to prevent this from happening.[2] However, when Quantum resurfaced and confronted Quasar, Quantum was able to operate in nighttime conditions and even further dark without any problems.[7]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Quantum wears a Dakkamite army uniform with a chest emblem representing his rank.[8] The suit is made of alien material.[3]

Trivia

A steadfast, single-minded soldier, Quantum is devoted to finding the other members of The Elect. Although his motivations are not really criminal, his methods and alien habits have led him to conflict with Earth-based superheroes. Quantum tends to use his powers only to oppose the obstacles in his quest.[4]